In May 2019, Jack Grealish climbed the steps at Wembley in a pair of tatty and worn-out football boots to rubberstamp his team's return to the Premier League.
Aston Villa had beaten Derby County in the Championship play-off final, their second attempt in as many years, and their promotion was regarded as a do-or-die moment for a club that had lost its way.
Grealish captained Villa through a record-breaking run of wins to qualify for the play-offs. Like his manager, Dean Smith, he is a Villa supporter to his core. He was on top of the world, tipped for a distinguished England career and set to be every bit the phenom in the Premier League that he was in the second tier.
Everton were right to stand their ground and Grealish owes them a penance
As Grealish and his teammates lifted the trophy in Wembley's royal box, its rim nicked his eyebrow. This is Jack Grealish: Already beloved by his people for years, as naturally talented as any English footballer since Paul Gascoigne, a scintillating player and emerging leader, and a self-saboteur.
After steering Villa to the Premier League after three years away, Grealish flourished in the top flight and kept them there. He became a £100 million player when he left for Manchester City, where he played his part in winning the treble in 2022/23 but had to sacrifice the individual style that made him extraordinary.
And he was extraordinary. As humdrum as he was at City by comparison, as unremarkable as his two loan spells at Everton have been, Villa supporters can look back on his performances and lament a player who could have been an all-time great at the club he loved but chose a different path.
Sadly, that road gave Grealish the trophies and international recognition he craved but left him vulnerable to the self-destructive streak that occasionally made him headline news in his years at Villa.
Outside that cocoon he seems to have lost his way. Everton supporters will find it difficult to forgive his most recent transgression. Grealish was left out of the Toffees' squad for this week's Carabao Cup fixture against Newcastle United because of a 'breach of club discipline' that's widely reported to have been an unauthorised absence from training.
David Moyes' team selection when the same teams meet again in the Premier League on Monday night will reveal the depth of feeling about the matter within the club; for some supporters, failings of professionalism cross a line.
Grealish, at 31, faces a fight to win back a place in the team and the backing of supporters at a club with no vested interest in his future beyond May, and he only has himself to blame.
Everton and Moyes have to protect their interests and ensuring that disciplinary matters are dealt with is key to keeping a dressing room functioning properly. Premier League footballers are extremely wealthy young men and Grealish, considered too expensive for Villa to take on loan last summer, has made a fortune.
The minimum standard expected in exchange for that is rather higher than simply showing up for work. Falling short of that level isn't acceptable for any player and Everton were forced to take action, but it can also be indicative of a player's need for support.
No footballer is exempt from the trials of life and the game has a duty of care
The reasons for Grealish's breach of club discipline will never be made public by Everton, nor should they.
Nobody but Grealish and those closest to him will know the details behind the tall tales and photographs that have followed him throughout his career. Only Grealish will know his own mind; speculation about his life is unfair and irresponsible.
Whatever Grealish's reasons for doing what he did to trigger such a clear reaction from Everton this week, the act itself confirms that his story has become a cautionary one.
He has all the ability in the world and enough style and confidence to shine on the biggest stages football has to offer. He became the cornerstone of his own club and delivered tangible success beyond anything any other local boy had achieved for generations.
As players of that ilk make their way in the game, it's easy to forget that they're people too. Some will have struggles and battles to fight away from football, and some will ultimately let their professionalism slip no matter how capable they are on the pitch.
Supporters can view that in any way they wish. Many will simply look at the wages a player receives and have very little sympathy.
Football clubs, and football as a whole, must take a more serious approach. Fans don't owe players anything but football certainly does. If nothing else, the game's duty of care to its players should help them make the right decisions to fulfil their promise.
